Chicks in the Office

Southern Charm's Austen Kroll Spills on His Breakup, Where He Stands w/ Craig Conover + Miley Cyrus Is Engaged!

December 3, 2025

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  • The hosts opened the episode by discussing the arrival of 'cozy season' and promoting Bombas apparel and Armani Beauty products. 
  • The hosts and guest Kelly Keegs discussed the difficulty and expense of buying real Christmas trees in New York City, including a personal anecdote about defending a chosen tree from another shopper. 
  • The initial segment covered pop culture news, including Miley Cyrus's engagement to Maxx Morando, the Wall Street Journal spread featuring 'Club Chalamet,' and Andy Cohen confirming Jen Shah will not return to 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' after prison release. 
  • Andy Cohen confirmed that Jen Shah will not return to 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City' following her prison release, emphasizing that a line must be drawn regarding criminal behavior. 
  • The hosts and guest Austen Kroll discussed the perceived 'creepy' behavior of a specific Timothée Chalamet fan account, noting the fan's intense focus on his past relationships. 
  • Austen Kroll clarified that his previous comments about seeing his ex-girlfriend 'three to five times a month' referred to days per visit, not the frequency of seeing her overall, in response to criticism about his relationship style. 
  • Austen Kroll expresses deep frustration with Craig Conover's lack of accountability and apology regarding past actions, suggesting their friendship issues stem from fundamental differences and unresolved conflicts. 
  • The relationship between Austen Kroll and Craig Conover, as well as the dynamic between Craig and Shep Rose, is characterized by long-standing tension, score-keeping, and misinterpretations of each other's behavior. 
  • Austen Kroll is currently maintaining only surface-level communication with Craig Conover and is unsure if he prefers being single or in a relationship, noting he liked the priority shift that came with being in his previous relationship. 

Segments

Podcast Intro and Sponsor Reads
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Bombas socks and apparel are promoted for comfort during the fall season, emphasizing their ‘buy one, donate one’ model.
  • Summary: Bombas products like socks, slippers, tees, and underwear are highlighted for their premium, comfortable materials suitable for fall weather. The brand guarantees customer satisfaction and maintains a commitment where every item purchased results in a donated item to someone experiencing homelessness. Listeners can receive 20% off their first purchase using the code ‘Chicks’ at bombas.com/slash chicks.
Hosts Welcome and Weather Chat
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(00:03:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts, Kelly Keegs and Fran, opened the episode by noting the difficult, rainy weather in New York City.
  • Summary: Kelly Keegs joined Fran for the episode, which was recorded on a day with severe rain and flooding in New York City. Kelly wore snow boots due to the weather, contrasting with Fran’s footwear choice. The hosts expressed a desire for snow, noting that their parents’ location received some.
Christmas Tree Buying Adventures
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(00:06:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Purchasing a real Christmas tree in New York City involves significant expense and competitive guarding against other buyers.
  • Summary: Fran paid $130 for a nearly six-foot tree from her local vendors, considering it a steal compared to neighborhood prices that can reach $180 to $200. Fran recounted an intense experience where she had to physically claim her chosen tree from another shopper who tried to take it. The high cost of trees in areas like Soho, where one person reportedly spent $1,200 on two trees, was noted as absurd.
Concert Merch Quality Discussion
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(00:13:16)
  • Key Takeaway: High-quality concert merchandise, such as a Dua Lipa hoodie, can be a worthwhile purchase despite high prices, unlike some lower-quality items.
  • Summary: The hosts compared the quality of concert merchandise they have purchased from various artists. Fran noted that her camouflage Dua Lipa hoodie, costing around $100, was surprisingly high quality and thick. They contrasted this with other $80 to $100 sweatshirts that end up being see-through.
Stranger Things Season 5 Talk
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(00:14:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Season 4 of Stranger Things successfully transitioned to darker, more adult storylines, justifying the older appearance of the now-senior characters.
  • Summary: Fran watched the first four episodes of the latest season of Stranger Things and found the show has taken a leap into darker, more adult storylines. She defended the cast’s older appearance, stating it makes sense as the characters have grown up since they were hired as child actors. The acting, particularly by Holly Wheeler (Erica), was praised for its quality.
Hamnet Movie Review
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(00:22:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The film Hamnet is a gut-wrenching British drama based on Shakespeare’s life, featuring phenomenal acting, especially from the child actor playing Hamnet.
  • Summary: Kelly saw Hamnet and described it as an intensely emotional experience, comparing the level of sadness to films like Manchester by the Sea. The movie details how Shakespeare’s family dealt with the death of their son, Hamnet, from the plague. The chemistry between Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley was highlighted, but the child actor playing Hamnet received exceptional praise for his emotional performance.
Zootopia 2 Box Office Success
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(00:27:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Zootopia 2 achieved one of the highest opening weekends ever, proving to be a successful sequel with great appeal for both children and adults.
  • Summary: Fran confirmed that Zootopia 2 was a fantastic movie that holds up well, featuring great adult jokes. The film achieved the fourth highest opening weekend ever, ranking alongside major Marvel releases. The timing of its release over Thanksgiving weekend was deemed brilliant for maximizing box office returns.
Nail Damage and Scheduling Woes
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(00:28:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Fran experienced a broken nail, which caused her significant distraction, while Kelly noted the difficulty of securing appointments at her preferred nail salon.
  • Summary: Fran was distracted by a broken nail, which she felt compelled to fix immediately due to OCD tendencies. Kelly mentioned that her preferred nail salon is now so popular that appointments must be made weeks in advance, making it a ‘pain in the ass.’
Upcoming Show Topics Preview
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(00:30:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The remainder of the Chicks in the Office episode will feature an interview with Austen Kroll discussing Southern Charm drama, Miley Cyrus’s engagement, the ‘Club Chalamet’ spread, and Jen Shah’s RHOSLC future.
  • Summary: The hosts previewed the upcoming segments, including an interview with Austen Kroll about his breakup and relationship status with Craig Conover on Southern Charm. Other topics include Miley Cyrus’s engagement to Maxx Morando and the detailed Wall Street Journal feature on ‘Club Chalamet.’ Andy Cohen confirmed Jen Shah’s non-return to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.
Austen Kroll Interview Start
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(01:16:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll is returning to Chicks in the Office for his yearly checkup.
  • Summary: The hosts welcomed Austen Kroll back to the podcast, noting it had been since January. They recalled a past instance where Austen was nervous about appearing on the show. A past Snapchat memory showed Austen and Craig Conover arriving with champagne, indicating a more relaxed past appearance.
Southern Charm Season Discussion
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(01:19:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The current season of ‘Southern Charm’ is considered good, featuring new cast members and heating up drama.
  • Summary: The hosts are enjoying the current season of ‘Southern Charm,’ noting that new cast members like Sally and Charlie are great additions. Austen confirmed he has a girlfriend this season, though they are no longer together. The season’s narrative has felt more male-centered recently, following a previous female-led season.
Austen’s Relationship Dynamics
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(01:20:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Madison’s comment that Austen needed a girlfriend was inaccurate; he values peace and enjoyed the long-distance nature of his recent relationship.
  • Summary: Austen clarified that his previous description of seeing his girlfriend three to five times a month meant three to five days per visit, not the frequency of seeing her. He stated he prefers a partner who values space, contrasting with Craig Conover’s view that relationships must be heading toward marriage. The breakup was difficult because it lacked typical drama, occurring respectfully after conversations about the future.
Craig Conover Friendship Status
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(01:35:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen’s current frustration with Craig Conover stems from Craig’s perceived hypocrisy regarding drinking habits, not just the drinking itself.
  • Summary: Austen stated his disconnect with Craig is not about Craig’s drinking, but rather Craig previously criticizing Austen’s drinking habits. Austen wishes Craig would take ownership for how his past relationship with Paige affected his friendships. He expressed a desire for Craig to acknowledge past behavior rather than just moving on.
Craig’s Lack of Accountability
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(01:36:20)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll is frustrated by Craig Conover’s failure to offer sincere apologies, noting Craig apologizes for making others mad rather than for his actions.
  • Summary: Austen Kroll feels Craig Conover avoids taking ownership, citing instances where Craig offers non-apologies like, “sorry that the things that I say make make you mad.” Kroll believes Craig could have easily smoothed things over this season by acknowledging past neglect of friendships. This lack of sincere apology drives Kroll to express extreme frustration, stating he sometimes wants to “wring his neck.”
Friendship Status and Priorities
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(01:38:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll and Craig Conover’s relationship is currently at a surface level, and their fundamental differences in priorities may prevent lasting reconciliation.
  • Summary: Currently, Austen and Craig are only exchanging surface-level texts, and Austen notes that previews suggest their conflict does not improve throughout the season. Kroll suggests that despite being similar in age and background, they might be fundamentally different in priorities, which strains their joint ventures like the podcast. The podcast itself, intended for casual conversation, became a source of resentment due to scheduling conflicts and differing priorities.
Podcast Friendship Origin
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(01:41:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The friendship between the podcast hosts developed from doing the podcast, rather than the podcast being a project undertaken by pre-existing friends.
  • Summary: The dynamic of the podcast hosts’ friendship is unique because they created their bond through the show, which is the opposite of friends starting a project together. Kroll prefers a collaborative approach where he can just show up and chat, allowing the other host to take the lead if they have more direction. Working too closely is identified as a common factor that breaks up friendships, referencing the potential comeback of ‘Pills and Beer.’
Shep and Craig’s Bizarre Dynamic
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(01:42:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Shep Rose and Craig Conover maintain a long-running, competitive relationship characterized by remembering past slights, such as an auction incident from season two.
  • Summary: Austen notes that his relationship with Shep and Craig is bizarre, often involving Shep making incorrect assumptions about him, which also applies to Shep’s commentary about Craig. Kroll suggests both Craig and Shep keep mental ’notes apps’ detailing each other’s past offenses, citing an old auction incident where Shep felt slighted by Craig. Austen believes that while Shep has recently backed off criticizing Craig, unresolved issues from last year still linger between him and Craig.
Austen’s Relationship Status and Dating
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(01:46:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll has not yet had a chance to observe Craig Conover’s dating style as a single man, having only acted as a wingman once.
  • Summary: Austen has only acted as a wingman for Craig once and has not seen how Craig operates in the dating world, questioning if Craig is currently using apps like Raya or DMs. Kroll reflects that he liked the version of himself when he was in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend because it caused a positive priority shift, leading him to go home early from dinners with friends. He is now trying to figure out how to maintain that positive operating style while dating in the challenging Charleston pool.
George Washington Comparison Backlash
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(01:48:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll overreacted to a social media comparison labeling him as a George Washington lookalike because it triggered negative feelings from past online vitriol.
  • Summary: The comparison to George Washington, made by an account that previously sent Austen Kroll vitriol, caused him to react strongly despite the commenter apologizing and claiming it was meant as a compliment for a PBS show. Kroll admitted that the comment derailed his day because it reminded him of ‘shitty times’ he experienced online, leading to an overreaction. The incident was compounded when his Facebook wall was spammed with George Washington memes, including images of him ‘crossing the Delaware River.’
BravoCon Experience and Rivalries
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(01:52:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll enjoyed BravoCon, especially having his mother attend, and denies any active ‘beef’ between the Southern Charm and Summer House casts following his breakup with Paige.
  • Summary: A highlight of BravoCon for Austen was having his mother attend, though his schedule was packed due to nightly Watch What Happens Live appearances. Kroll clarifies that while there was initial snarky back-and-forth between the shows after his breakup with Paige, he has no beef with the Summer House cast members like Carl, Kyle, or Lindsay. He notes that Andy Cohen tried to stir up drama, but Austen felt Shep Rose was oblivious to any supposed conflict.
Dating Reality TV vs. Non-TV People
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(01:57:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Austen Kroll has not decided whether he would date someone from Southern Charm again or exclusively seek someone outside of reality TV, acknowledging both paths have difficulties.
  • Summary: Kroll admits he doesn’t have a definitive answer on whether he would date another reality TV personality or someone outside the industry, as he has experienced both. He notes that dating someone on TV can be difficult because any fallout can be amplified by having a microphone readily available. Ultimately, he concludes that the relationship ‘just got to be right,’ regardless of the partner’s background.
Show Promotion and Halloween Plans
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(01:58:34)
  • Key Takeaway: The current season of Southern Charm is airing Wednesdays at 8 PM, streaming next day on Peacock, and Austen Kroll plans to dress as Hermione Granger for Halloween.
  • Summary: Viewers are reminded to watch Southern Charm on Wednesday nights, currently at 8 PM before moving to 9 PM, and streaming the next day on Peacock. Austen confirmed he is looking forward to Halloween, where he plans to dress as Hermione Granger, despite anticipating looking ‘fugly’ in the wig. He noted that many people expected him to dress as Hairy Potter, which he intentionally avoided.